The Ankh is the ancient symbol of eternal life and resurrection. That’s why it is called the “Key of Life.”
The Ankh represents the union of both the God and Goddess and the infinite creative power of the universe. The loop top depicts the rising sun, the horizontal bar depicts feminine energy, and the vertical bar depicts the masculine energy.
The Ankh and the Egyptians
The Ankh is one of the most powerful symbols to Egyptians, evident in all their artwork and hieroglyphs. The Ankhs then were made from many materials like wood and precious stones, but most often they were made from gold and copper. The Egyptians would place precious stones within the loop of the Ankh to make its spiritual properties stronger. For example, an Ankh with an amethyst in the center becomes a much powerful tool in divination.
The Ankh is present in many of the temple carvings and funerary artwork of the Egyptians. One Egyptian practice is to place Ankhs in the tombs of the deceased to carry with them to the afterlife. They would even place the Ankh upon the nostrils of the deceased to help bring them back to life. Ankh usage is evident in many unearthed relics of the Egyptians.
The Key of Life Necklace from the Moonlight Shop
Another popular use for the Ankh is an amulet for protection, good luck, and good fortune. It has the power to protect against bad energies. If you take a look at the scepters of the deities in Egyptian artwork, you will see that they are in the shape of Ankhs.
The Ankh and Magick
The Ankh is well known for its association with the Egyptians, but it also has strong associations with magick. The House of Life’s symbol is an Ankh over the door. What is the House of Life exactly? It’s an organization of libraries where the temples housed educational texts and magickal lore. All educational materials were were accessible to anyone.
As a magickal tool, the Ankh has healing powers. The Egyptians would place them over wounds to promote regeneration and healing. It also opens to the doors to psychic communication with the divine. Some Egyptian art depict the Ankh placed over the forehead, where the third eye is, to foster a strong connection with the Divine.
Christianity
In the 5th century, the Christians adapted the Ankh for their own use. Maintaing just the male aspect and making do without the female aspect. It is the Christian cross that you see nowadays.
How has the Ankh helped you in your life?
I would love to hear your stories. Tell me about them in the comments section below.
The Ankh is in two parts.
The ‘handle’ represents the vulva.
The connective down-piece represents the testes and the phallus.
It does not just mean sexual activity but growth, life, the cosmos, etcetera..
Mine has a purple amethyst set at the junction of the male and female symbols.
I requested that the Winnall tree fell, due to storms and wood rot, be cut into eighteen inch logs and erected in a circle. It was completed in three days.
This year more deceased tree were felled and the grounds personnel erected an inner circle of logs, thus completing the Wiccan circle.
‘Blessed be’